Understanding RDA: A New Era in Resource Description and Access
Resource Description and Access (RDA) is an evolution from AACR2, designed to meet contemporary cataloging challenges. It emphasizes content and supports user tasks such as finding, identifying, selecting, and obtaining resources. RDA addresses the complexity of e-resources, provides clarity in content versus carrier distinctions, and is intended to enhance user experience beyond traditional library environments. With its foundation in FRBR principles, RDA is compatible with existing library systems and aims for broader usability across various resource types.
Understanding RDA: A New Era in Resource Description and Access
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Presentation Transcript
RDA for everyone else Resource Description and Access
What is it? • Resource Description and Access • Successor to AACR2 – NOT AACR3 • New cataloguing rules/guidelines
Why do we need it? • AACR2 has lasted very well but … • Based on card catalogues • Blends requirements for description and display • Multiple versions or formats are hard to distinguish • E-resources are difficult
What’s different about RDA? • Covers content only • Not coding of content (ISBD, MARC) • Not display of content (Library system) • Based on FRBR and FRAD • Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records • Functional Requirements for Authority Data
More differences • Clearly distinguishes content and carriers of content • Designed as an online tool
RDA Goals • RDA as a standard • Cover all types of resources and all types of content • Be usable outside the library community • RDA data • Support user tasks (Find Identify Select Obtain) • Be compatible with existing library catalogues • Independent of encoding formats
When will we get it? • What’s happened so far • 1997 – conference on cataloguing principles • 2004 – AACR3 draft • 2005 – change name to RDA – draft • 2006 – more drafts • 2007 – new structure for RDA and 1 more draft
What’s happening next • October 2008 – release of final draft as online prototype • Jan 2009 end of review period for final draft • Later in 2009? publication
What difference will it make? • Better displays • Clearer data • More choices for encoding data • Greater flexibility in moving forward
Current view Mister Pip / Lloyd Jones Rearsby : W.F. Howes, 2008 Mister Pip / Lloyd Jones Auckland, N.Z. : Penguin Books, 2006 Mister Pip / Lloyd Jones Toronto : AA Knopf Canada, [2007] Mister Pip / Lloyd Jones New York, N.Y. : Dial Press, 2007 Mister Pip [sound recording] / Lloyd Jones Bristol : Chivers, 2008. Monsieur Pip / par Lloyd Jones Paris : J. Losfeld, 2008
Future view? Title: Jones, Lloyd. Mr Pip Format: Text -- English Text -- French Audiobook -- English Publications: Text – English Penguin Books, 2006 A.A. Knopf., 2007 Dial Press, 2007 W.F. Howes, 2008 …
What can I do? • Ask your system vendor what they’re planning re RDA • Watch the RDA website for information about releases
